Eleni'iulena
Eleni'iulena is a fairy maid of the Quilli'ehennan's court. She is the daughter of Culatha, and Quilli'ehennan.KoS, pg 70, 77 Background The fairy maid greets Graham and Valanice as soon as they entered a glade close to fairy court, after being led in to the woods by the sprite; Jiilii'a. She welcomed them to the Old Wood, introduced herself, and explained that she would lead them to the King of the Wood. She bid them leave their horses behind in the clearing, and that no one would harm them in the glade. Graham presented his wife to her. She already knew who both were, as the king's inventation was known to all the folk of the forest. She turned and walked away bidding them to follow. Valanice went first, followed by Graham. The forest was not too happy to see Graham, but tolerated Valanice. Eleni'iulena explained the nature of the wood to the royal couple. She warned both, about the barrier guarding the court. She explained that Valanice would be accepted into the heart of the court, for the forest coveted her beauty, but Graham may not be. That he should wait in place until she returned, to guide him to his horse and out of the woods. If he moved he would be eternally lost, and not even she would be able to find him and lead him out. For this was the way of the test of the Old Wood, to insure the safety of the king. Eleni'iulana stepped behind a tree, and Valanice followed. Graham tried to follow. Valancie passed through the barrier with no problems. For Graham it caused fear and he felt the need to flee, and time seemed to slow. But he passed through unscathed. Both Eleni'iulena and Valanice were already before the king's throne.KoS, 58-61 Eleni'iulana turned her face away from her king, but Graham continued to stare. After Graham collapsed, she stood over him, and warned him not to stare at the lo'ahimasa'evennan for his beauty is beyond that which can be tolerated in the world especially for humans.KoS, 63 Eleni'iulena stood aside and waited until the king gave her command. The king later gestured for her. She bowed and departed. Within moments, she returned with another faery maid, one who had been witness to the capture of Eleni'iulena's mother.KoS, pg 65 When the maid had given her story, she was to be punished for letting the queen be captured. This was normally death, but as she had escaped to tell her story she was turned into a creeping vine with an uncertain future. Eleni'iulena bent over to pick it up gently. She carried the vine away into the forest.KoS, 66 She returned soon after. At the end of the council, the king told Graham and Valanice that his daughter would show them to horses. Eleni'iulena bowed slightly, and explained that the king and queen of the Wood were her parents. She thanked Graham for going after her mother. Eleni'iulena then led the couple out of the hall to the path. By the time they left the hall, snow from the endless winter was already falling in the woods. The fairy maid explained that it would continue to snow in the woods until her mother was returned to the faeries. If they didn't return, her people would die as well. The faery led them back to their horses. She told Graham that he would have to continue his journey on foot, and that his queen would have to lead his horse back to Castle Daventry. She bid Jiilii'a to guide Valanice back to her home so not to strand her in the woods. He watched as his wife was led away, and then bid the maid show him the path he was to take. She nodded and turned, taking Graham deeper into the grasping, clinging branches of the forest. KoS, 70-72 Graham followed her to the edge of the Old Wood, which they reached by evening. Graham thanked her for leading him through the woods safely. She explained it was her duty to make sure he was safe. She then disappeared into the woods without a sound.KoS, 80 Graham would later successfully return her mother to the woods. Personality and traits Her raven-dark tresses fell in a forest of braids from here head to her ankles. Her eyes are dark and empty. Her curved, pointed ears stuck out of her hair, and almost touch the top of her head. Her skin was the palest white with bare tracings of green veins showing around her neck. She was waist high tall or so, and clad in shimmering white. Her voice was low and deep for one so small and seemed to emenate from the very ground itself. Although low, it was a sweet voice.SNW, 58 Her eyes betray not a spark of life or emotion.KoS, 60Even when her words were kind, her eyes always remained flat and vacant.KoS, pg 70Though they usually meant no harm, she and her kind were cold comfortless companions.KoS, pg 81 Her kind did not display much courtesy or concerin for human ways. While they were not enemies, they were at best uncomfortable friends. References Category:Woodland faeries Category:Characters (KoS) Category:Maids